Anderson Heap finds success in focusing on the next point

Kissimmee Osceola’s Anderson Heap (left) won his second straight state title in March. (Brant Parsons/Kabra Wrestling)

BY BRANT PARSONS — While chasing a second state title, Kissimmee Osceola’s Anderson Heap wanted to keep the same focus on getting better he had the first year that he had won.

“I can’t let it get to me that I’ve already won and I need to stay focused and not worry about winning or losing,” Heap said. “It’s just a score the next point type of mindset.”

That approach worked for the rising senior as Heap won his second Florida state title back in March with a 3-1 win over South Dade’s Misha Arbos in the Class 3A, 145-pound final.

“Winning it felt good, not as good as the first one, but it definitely still felt good to win again,” Heap said. “It just kind of fulfills me.”

When Heap started wrestling, winning a state title in the sport likely seemed far away.

He started wrestling after a friend convinced him to come out. They were playing Pop Warner football in second grade and the friend’s parents suggested that they try it.

“I’m not going to lie, it didn’t click for a while,” Heap said.

In fact, it wouldn’t click until right before Heap started high school. In the summer before his freshman year at Osceola, he finally grasped what he could do.

“That summer before ninth grade I started training with Cooper (Haase) and I just started getting better and better,” Heap said. “As I started to put more work into it, I started to believe myself that I could be good at it.”

Now as he enters his senior season and having committed already to Davidson, Heap is looking forward to one last year with the Kowboys.

“The main thing is going to be for Gunner (Holland) and I to just have fun and take it all in and enjoy every moment,” Heap said. “We have to lock it in toward the end but definitely have fun this year too.”

And maybe he’ll get to compare a third state title to the first two.

Anderson Heap celebrates his state title. (Brant Parsons/Kabra Wrestling)

STATE CHAMPION FEATURES

Kabra Wrestling is looking to feature as many state champions as we can over the next few months and tell a little story about what makes them special.

If you won a state championship and would like to be featured, please contact Kabra Wrestling to set up an interview.

2023 State Champions

3A-106: Andrew Punzalan (Cypress Bay)

3A-113: Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge)

3A-120: Luis Acevedo (South Dade)

3A-126: Ethan Vugman (Bartram Trail)

3A-132: Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)

3A-138: Elvis Solis (South Dade)

3A-145: Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-152: Cooper Haase (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-160: Adrian Ochoa (Southwest Miami)

3A-170: Lawrence Rosario (South Dade)